Never Ending Exploration of the Natural World

Visualizing the Pitayal Pt 1.: Stalled…Just for Sec

Way too excited to be on the plane.

Thanks for visiting Wingtrip. This post is a part of a project called Visualizing the Pitayal. Click here for an explanation of the project. Click here for a complete listing of all the posts in the project so far, to start at the beginning. And if you are impressed by what you learn and see, consider supporting the Alamos Wildlands Alliance. Thanks again and enjoy!

Things don’t always go as planned. Nothing major, just a bit of extra time spent waiting for a package to arrive in Joshua Tree. Going crazy waiting in Palm Springs, a city I didn’t intend to spend any time in.

The Sierra Nevadas, somewhere on the way South.

My friend Simone and I flew out of Seattle this morning at 6:40 AM and got to Palm Springs around 9AM. We left Seattle in the rain and arrived in the desert to 70 degrees. Knowing we had to wait for our transportation, we decided to walk from the airport into town. A poor choice, as it was much further than we were told, but at least we got to see some common desert birds.

Stark contrast in Palm Springs

Flying in we couldn’t help but admire the stark desert mountains of Southern California. As we descended into Palm Springs, our thoughts turned to climate change and imagining the building below us sinking into the sands. Despite not wishing ill of people who live here, it’s obvious this place isn’t sustainable. How can these strange oases stand in what seems to be ignorance of the desert around them?

A massive wind farm.

Still, despite having to wait it out in a strip mall Starbucks, it’s great to be in the desert again. Hopefully tomorrow will be a smoother day. (But don’t expect these updates from me regularly.)